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Putting Technology to the Test - 7 Generations - Big Mountain - Leonard Peltier

Putting Technology to the Test

The communications revolution withstood the test of fixing a mistake to account for the year 2000. It was easier to do than most had expected. (I took the temporary fix of dating my computer back ten years.) No big deal, right, but the problems we are facing in today's world are.. perhaps, too scary for most to ponder. What is the post Cassini flyby era? I wonder where we are headed, star wars, the grim reality? pushed into motion by 97 out of 100 U.S. Senators!? Too scary to ponder, the consequences of an accelerated arms race and technologies capable of big time destruction. Are we headed toward chaos, big growth for short term life?

The real test for technology needs to be taken from the philosophy lived by the Native American -- council meetings would consider any impact their actions would have for seven generations, three present and four into the future, before making significant decisions. The half life of toxic nuclear radiation outlasts seven generations and is known to cause cell mutations and cancer. This is an aberration of human intelligence and lack of creativity to find a safer way to end the threat of one nation destroying another or to make a living.

I feel that in this climate of undeniable global warming, over population, hunger and suffering, while financial institutions are soaring in all time highs, we have a unique opportunity to transform policies and actions for beneficial directions for most everyone. Yet, the current assessment for such a change seems quite bleak, but we still have a little time. The U.S. should change its position and honor the ABM Treaties with Russia and China, and take the lead to help unite nations for mutual interests in national security and prosperity in harmony with Earth's natural ecosystems. Humility and courage are two good attributes to help make a change, before the current rise in environmental catastrophes lose all control.

The following is a press release from the Leonard Peltier Support Group of Greater New England. It is regarding Leonard Peltier and Big Mountain, which is uniquely related to post cassini flyby interests. Without basic human rights, justice and democracy for all, our future is very bleak, indeed.

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Leonard Peltier Support Group / Greater New England
P.O. Box 1999, Wendell Depot, MA 01380 USA

For Immediate Release

January 2000 Events for Indigenous American Issues:
Leonard Peltier and Big Mountain

Contacts:

Harvey Arden (202)244-4693 The Wisdomkeepers Project
http://www.wisdomkeepers.com
Paul Tohlakai(413)862-3415 Sacred Mountains Foundation
http://www.visionquests.com
Jonathan Mark(978)544-7862 Leonard Peltier Support Group / GNE

For twenty-three years Harvey Arden was a staff writer for National Geographic magazine; he is coauthor of Wisdomkeepers: Meetings with Native American Spiritual Elders. He has written many books on Indigenous cultures and edited Leonard Peltier's book PRISON WRITINGS: My Life is My Sun Dance, published by St. Martins Press, 1999. Leonard Peltier is now in his twenty-fourth year of confinement and according to many, including Amnesty International, was wrongly convicted of the murder of two FBI agents. Leonard Peltier, an accomplished artist has written his first book as a personal testament, "I am an Indian--an Indian who dared to stand up to defend his people. I am an innocent man who never murdered anyone nor wanted to. And, yes, I am a Sun Dancer. That, too, is my identity. If I am to suffer as a symbol of my people, then I suffer proudly. I will never yield." Harvey Arden will be reading from Prison Writings many places in New England during January 2000.

Paul Crane Tohlakai is a Dineh (Navajo) ceremonial leader and will be a guest speaker at the events with Harvey Arden. Paul Tohlakai is Director of Sacred Mountains Foundation and will be sharing information on how and why we should help him support his people at Big Mountain. Traditional Dineh are threatened to be forcibly evicted from their homeland, and placed downstream from the nation's worst nuclear waste disaster, near Chambers, Arizona. A previous relocation proved disastrous, of the 12-16,000 Dineh moved to this same area, within six months, 3,000 Dineh people died! The U.S. government claims it is working according to the law of the land. However, sacred land is planned to be stripped mined for coal during this era of record-shattering increases in global temperatures. Paul Tohlakai's vision is to help bring unity and peace by celebrating the special gifts of the Dineh in honor of Mother Earth.


Scheduled Events with Harvey Arden and Paul Tohlakai

January 12 (Wednesday) [Organizational Meeting] Attorney Bob Doyle's office,
7:00 P.M.
114 Main St. Northampton, MA
January 13-15 -- "Democracy in Action" Presidential Primary Event and Forum in Manchester, NH (Contact Bonnie Winona (603)659-8888 for details)
January 16 (Sunday) Unitarian Universalist Society, 121 N. Pleasant St., Amherst, MA
10:00 A.M.
January 18 (Tuesday) Jones Library, 43 Amity Street, Amherst, MA
7:00 to 9:00 P.M.
January 20 (Thursday) Unitarian Society. 220 Main Street, Northampton, MA
7:00 P.M.
January 21 (Friday) Odess-Gillett Home, Hadley, MA (413)586-0580


Excerpts from Prison Writings: My Life Is My Sun Dance by Leonard Peltier

"I know who and what I am. I am an Indian---an Indian who dared to stand up to defend his people. I am an innocent man who never murdered anyone nor wanted to. And, yes, I am a Sun Dancer. That, too, is my identity. If I am to suffer as a symbol of my people, then I suffer proudly. I will never yield.

We are in this together-the rich, the poor, the red, the white, the black, the brown, and the yellow. We are all one family of humankind. We share responsibility for our Mother Earth and for all those who live and breathe upon her.

I believe our work will be unfinished until not one human being is hungry or battered, not a single person is forced to die in war, not one innocent languishes imprisoned, and no one is persecuted for his or her beliefs.

I believe in the good in humankind. I believe that the good can prevail, but only with great effort. And that effort is ours, each of ours, yours and mine.

We must be prepared for the danger that will surely come our way. Critics will attack us, try to distance us from each other and mock our sincerity. But if we are strong in our beliefs, we can reverse their assaults and grow even stronger in our commitments to Mother Earth, our struggles, and our future generations of children.."

- Leonard Peltier

PRISON WRITINGS: My Life Is My Sun Dance, published by St. Martin's Press, 1999.

Please read this work from an accomplished artist and caring courageous human being. Please consider supporting Congressional Hearings to investigate FBI abuses in this case (which is weirdly linked to uranium, gold and other polluting mining interests).

Please ask President Clinton to grant Executive Clemency.

URL References

http://www.lisn.net
http://www.freepeltier.org/
http://www.wisdomkeepers.com
http://standingdeer.homepage.com
http://www.whrc.org/globalwarming/warmingearth.htm

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